Brenda Vlasak is in her fourth season as a coach for the Northern Colorado tennis program, second year as the women's head coach and first as the men's head coach.

Vlasak will be in charge of helping lead the Bears into the Big Sky Conference, as the Bears officially becomes members in the 2006-07 season after being a Division I Independent since 2003-04. Although three of the eight other conference teams have the same men's and women's coach, Vlasak will be the first woman to run both programs at a Big Sky school.

"I feel like I have had lots of good coaching from various people throughout my life," Vlasak said. "I have learned a lot and am very excited to apply my knowledge to our athletes and coach them through the season."

Vlasak spent the first two years as an assistant coach for both programs before being promoted to the head women's coach for the 2004-05 season. That occurred after longtime coach and Northern Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame member Rosemary Fri was named Director of Tennis; Fri has since retired. Vlasak took over the reigns of the men's program at the beginning of the 2005-06 school year.

Vlasak coached the 2004-05 Northern Colorado women's tennis team to the NCAA Division I Independent championship with a 4-3 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the deciding match. The Bears also topped Texas-Pan American (7-0) and IPFW (7-0) in the event which was held in Greeley. That coaching effort helped her earn Division I Independent Coach of the Year honors.

Vlasak grew up in Colorado and as a junior was ranked No. 2 nationally in girls' 14 and under. She played No. 1 singles at Tyler Junior College for two years as she helped her squad win a pair of NJCAA titles (1998, 1999). During her sophomore season Vlasak compiled a 34-5 singles and a 35-5 doubles record.

She then transferred to the University of Arkansas where she played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles. Vlasak was an All-Academic SEC selection for the Lady Razorbacks and graduated with a 3.8 GPA. She was ranked No. 90 in the 2001 Preseason ITA singles poll and jumped to No. 72 in the rankings midway through the spring season. In the summer of 2001, she advanced to the NCAA Tournament in doubles. The Lady 'Backs advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of her years in Fayetteville.

Vlasak graduated from Arkansas with a degree in kinesiology in 2002. She completed her master's degree in sport administration at Northern Colorado in May of 2004.